The Phoenix, Townsend Harris’s student-run literary and art magazine, is gearing up to publish their annual final edition later this year. At the same time, the publication has been busy hosting workshops and events throughout the year.

According to English teacher and Phoenix advisor Katherine Lipinski, weekly meetings often include hands-on workshops led by editors to inspire new work. Sophomore and Managing Editor Samantha Ozgen recently hosted the “Three Color Challenge,” Ms. Lipinski said. During the workshop, members created art only using three randomly selected colored pencils, challenging artists to think outside the box. Samantha also hosted a workshop called, “The Beautiful Oops,” where students transformed intentional mistakes on paper into finished pieces. 

Ms. Lipinski said, “[Samantha] encouraged students to turn that mistake into a work of art. Inspired by her middle school art teacher, Samantha wanted students to leave the activity with the mindset that they can keep creating even when their artworks take a different route than they had originally planned.”

This year, the publication also partnered with the Nightingale Theatre Company to co-host several open mics, where students performed poems, songs, comedy routines, flash fiction, and other original works. 

Co-President and junior Oliver Kendt said that his journey within The Phoenix began after being inspired by former Editor-in-Chief Ethan Ben-David, who introduced him to design and the publication process. “I found the process super rewarding, which made applying for a leadership role a no-brainer,” he said.

Oliver said, “It has been a super fun experience and also a great leadership opportunity. I’m excited that we are increasing the number of small mini zines we make from one to two.” 

Freshman Charmaine Mei, who is a member of the Phoenix said she joined because the club combined several of her interests. “The club focuses on art, writing, and photography, which are all topics I enjoy exploring,” she said.

Her favorite part of the club is submitting work based on weekly themes while having creative freedom to explore. “I could submit anything related to the theme,” she said, noting she enjoyed drawing through her interpretation of the theme that week. 

Assistant Principal of World Languages and Social Studies, and former advisor Rafal Olechowski reflected on what made The Phoenix distinctive during his time working with the publication. He described it as a space that united students with many different creative interests, from poetry and prose writing to photography, art, and design. 

He said, “It was a very unique group of people.” He said that The Phoenix constantly reinvented itself each year, with students making decisions on everything from design concepts to to layout. “There was no cookie cutter for it,” he said. 

Charmaine encouraged other students to consider joining. “What I would say to someone thinking about joining the Phoenix is that they should just try it out. I would say that The Phoenix is a welcoming club.”